Lifesaving device



July 27,1937. H. w. WALTERS I 2,083,251,

' LIFESAVING DEVICE I Filed Sept. 12, 1935 9 I u r 4 n H A3);

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Patented July 27, 1937 .11- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE' u aosasiffi i fV gLIr s v NanrvwE ,7

Henry W. Walters, "Jacksonvilla 1 H Application September 12, 1935',Serial No. 40,311

3 Claims.

- of this specification:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of life saving apparatus made inaccordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a plan View of another form.

Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 1 a hollowbuoy 5; preferably elongated, with pointed ends, which may be identicalin construction with the buoy disclosed in my co-pending application,Serial No. 683,686

filed August 4, 1933, or which may be of a different construction. Theonly essential is that the buoy be capable of sustaining the weight of ahuman body submerged in water, and it is preferred that it be shaped, asshown, to facilitate towing it through water, especially Water disturbedby breakers or travelling waves.

The buoy 5 has eye-bolts 6 at either end and has loops or eyes 1intermediate its ends, and a tarred rope 8 is run through the eyes, asshown, and may then be spliced so as to be endless, to provide meanswhich a bather may graspto receive support from the buoy. The rope8 alsoaids towing of the buoy by a life-guard.

A rope 9 is passed through one of the eyes 6 and has snap buckles II] onits ends. Floats II are adjacent the snaps Ill, so as to overcome theweighting efiect of the snaps, thus insuring that the ends with thesnaps (which are commonly free of the rope 9) will not sink in water andhence will be in sight at all times to permit quick grasping andsnapping of the buckles on rope 9, as shown. Buoyant toggles H are alsocarried on rope 9 in such a way that loops 9w are formed, and as thelengths of rope 9 which pass through toggles l2 are frictionally heldwithin the toggles, said loops 9a may be enlarged to any extentpermitted by the'length of rope 9. Obviously each toggle l2 forms twoloops, when the corresponding snap buckle II] is engaged with rope 9.

Attached preferably to the same eye 6 that receives rope 9, but in somecases to the eye at the other end of the buoy, is a rope l3 having atoggle l4 and a looped end l3a carrying said toggle.

The toggles I2 and M are buoyant, so as to support the ropes in water,but they are preferably adjustable to insure a tight frictional grip atall times on the ropes, even after the latter are Weather-beaten.

In the form of Fig. 2, the same buoy 5 is used, with eyes 5 and l and arope 8 strung about its sides and ends. Also the end rope I3 with itsloop l3a. and toggle I4 is secured to one of the eyes 6 at one end ofthe buoy, all as in the form of Fig. 1.

Attached to either side of buoy 5 is a rope [5 having snap buckles It onits ends, securing it to the rope 8. Floats H are adjacent each snapbuckle l6, and support the ends of rope I 5 on the surface of the water.The rope is doubled as at I50. and the two lengths of the rope arepassed through a buoyant toggle i8, which frictionally grips therope;and when the snap buckles l5 are engaged with rope l5 as shown, saidrope forms two loops at one side of the buoy 5.

On the other side of the buoy there is a second rope l5 which may bearranged as already described, but which is shown arranged differentlyto illustrate the possibilities of the apparatus. Here the rope has bothends engaged by means of snap buckles It with the loop [5a, thuscreating a double loop at the side of the buoy.

The uses and advantages of the described apparatus when effectingrescues of drowning persons at beaches, etc, will be fairly obvious. Therope I3 is useful for towing the buoy, as the loop Isa may be laid overthe shoulder or around the neck of the life-guard, who may then swimwith arms and legs unimpeded. The loops formed by ropes 9 and [5 may beplaced around the chest and shoulders of an exhausted or half-drownedbather, and he will be supported while the rescuer goes to the relief ofothers, or until the buoy is towed to the shore. Ea-ch loop of rope 9may support one body, or the two loop-s together may be secured more orless tightly about the shoulders and upper arms of the person indistress, the toggles l2 permitting adjustment of the loops to grip thelimbs as snugly as desired. The loops formed by ropes 9 and I5 may alsoreceive the legs of the bather, and his weight will then be supportedfrom a lower point, making it somewhat easier for him to swim with thetowed buoy. The device prevents the loss of a half-drowned person whilestruggling through surf with a strong undertow, and will make possiblemany rescues which cannot be effected by the strongest swimmers.

Obviously the present invention may be embodied in several forms neithershown nor described.

Having described two forms of the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Life saving apparatus comprising, in combination, a buoy; a ropesecured to the buoy and extending around the sides and ends thereof; andanother rope having snapbuckles on and in- 10 termediate its ends toconnect it with the rope on the buoy and having a toggle slidable on therope on opposite sides of the intermediate buckle to adjust the loopsformed in said rope by said buckles.

15 2. Life saving apparatus comprising, in combination, a buoy; a ropesecured to one side of the buoy; and another rope having a toggleintermediate its ends and forming a loop; means to attach said loop tothe buoy rope; and means on the ends of the second named rope to attachsaid ends quickly to the loop or to the buoy rope.

3. Life saving apparatus comprising, in combination, a buoy; meansattached to the buoy by which it may be towed; a rope loosely attachedto one end of the buoy and having snap buckles on each end; the looselyattached rope being provided with two buoyant slidable toggles througheach of which are passed two lengths of said rope, each toggle providingtwo loops when the ends of said rope are attached to the rope by meansof said snap buckles.

HENRY W. WALTERS.

